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Leasing lawnmowers could be a more cost-effective option for landscape businesses than buying, writes Jason Fawcett, a contractor at Elizabeth River Landscape Management in Suffolk, Va. Leasing can reduce the need for repairs and maintenance, and reduce the cost of any repairs if the machines are under warranty. Contractors should first consult their accountants about the tax implications of leasing equipment, Fawcett notes.

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Landscape businesses may improve their company more if they lessen their focus on competitors, writes Jason Fawcett. In this article, he describes an experience where a competitor remained too attentive to his company and ended up losing its clients as a result. Instead of paying too much attention to their competitors, landscape businesses should focus on finding their own ways of "going the extra mile" for their clients, Fawcett advises.

Landscape contractors can boost their profits by providing accurate bids based on the cost of each task and the conditions on the job site, according to this article. Figure out how long it takes your workers to complete certain jobs, using specific equipment. Landscapers should keep this information in mind when performing a walk-through on a new site to assess its conditions, and they should remember to factor in some profit.

The leaky, rubber roofs at the Spring Lake Park City Hall and its north garage in Minnesota will be replaced because they are beyond repair. The roofs will be replaced with a 60-mil rubber membrane for $71,490, which carries a 10-year warranty. Asphalt and rock roofs were considered for the work, but they cost 50% more than the rubber material, says Terry Randall, director of the city's Department of Public Works.

Interest in stand-on, zero-turn riding mowers is growing as landscapers realize the benefits of their compact size and other features, writes Gregg Wartgow. "I can fit three 60-inch mowers on a trailer," said Jason Fawcett of Suffolk, Va.-based Elizabeth River Landscape Management. "This is my best option when sending a five-man crew to a larger commercial property."

A landscaper in Michigan is striving to cope with the rising price of fuel by adding a surcharge of 2% of his labor fee when his monthly fuel expenses exceed $4.04 a gallon. "It's about me trying to cover the costs that are out of my control," said Steve Cass of Otsego Outdoor Maintenance.